Summary: both new classes have been hybrid, melee DPS, tank and healer. Ranged DPS, specially Physical DPS, is missing from that equation. I see two possible outcomes.

1) Blizzard decides to keep their hybrid formula for new classes, but takes into consideration Ranged DPS. The next class might be a Ranged Hybrid, capable of both DPSing and Healing. Maybe 2 DPS specs and 1 healing spec.

I really doubt we'll see another class any time soon. Not in the next expansion anyway, and not a class that potentially lures people away from Tank and healer roles.

Blindingly defending Blizzard; ignorantly trashing Blizzard. Both require an emotional investment that I'm unwilling to give. I'll take reason, logic, facts, and the willingness to accept that I may be wrong. At the end of the day I'll have nothing to account for and I may even have learned something.

An engineer / tinker like class would fit well I think.
Another use of ranged weapons that only hunters use now, also opportunities for healing with various gadgets.
Could be fun if implemented correctly. ^^

An engineer / tinker like class would fit well I think.
Another use of ranged weapons that only hunters use now, also opportunities for healing with various gadgets.
Could be fun if implemented correctly. ^^

I can agree on this idea, maybe not the healing side. Possibly a pure DPS class or like in Warcraft 3 how the tinker turns into the massive tank.
I'd like them to use ranged weapons like hunters would be so nice.

I'd rather see more content/development for the existing races and classes rather than new ones. Focus more on the model updates for existing races, redo some of the starting quests for each race Cataclysm style, and bring back class-specific quests. I'd be more excited about that than I would about the addition of more classes.

That being said, based on the same information the OP gave about number of classes for each role, I would expect a new class to be a mail wearing tank/healer/ranged DPS hybrid. That brings the number of ranged DPS up to 7 (to match the number of melee DPS capable classes), and brings tank/heal classes up to 6. We also only have two mail wearing classes currently, while we have 3 classes for each of the other armor types.

...assuming Blizzard wants to balance things as much as they can, of course. They could just pull something dumb like adding another plate strength class to the game. Not likely though.

I really doubt we'll see another class any time soon. Not in the next expansion anyway, and not a class that potentially lures people away from Tank and healer roles.

I agree, although there's better ways to go about making people roll tanks. I think a lot of people roll them and quit once they get into instances around level 20 or so and realize that everybody else is wanting to pull and do their job for them and it isn't really much fun.

If they brought back the days of if you pull aggro you die and have to watch your threat and let the tank do his work, then I think it would go a long way towards people actually leveling their tanks to max and there wouldn't always be such a shortage.

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Originally Posted by Therougetitan

Agreed physical ranged dps is the way to go, and we need another mail class. Something like Tinker would fit right in.

I originally hadn't liked the suggestions I'd seen for a Tinker class and thought it would be kind of cheesy, but when I think about it in this light it makes a lot more sense.

All the class ideas people come up with are either too similar to a class we already have, or a mix of 2 classes together. Neither of which would be an interesting addition.

Realistically I doubt that a new race OR class will be announced. Updates to the existing race models will probably be a big feature, but there are already 33 specs in the game, that's more than enough.

I think the next big thing will be additional specs for all current classes.

My call:

Death Knight: spell plate ranged damage that allows the use of staves. Perhaps a shadow/plague lich cooldown.
Druid: already at 4. Sorry dru dru.
Hunter: everyone thinks melee based spec, but I think spell chain based magic damage attacks or possibly healing. Will focus on very special pets only tamable in this spec. May even allow wands.
Mage: Time based dps/support spec that supplies damage mitigation on the side.
Monk: No brainer. Spell leather based DBZ-style anime-fu. Kaaaaaaaa meeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaa....MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.....
Paladin: Spell plate holy damage based range deeps. Been asked for for some time. SHOCKADINZ!
Priest: Thinking a second DPS spec based on a 'new' magic source: Chaos. Or perhaps a frost based spec with frost-lich cooldown ability.
Rogue: Ranged weapon based. Think about it: bows and crossbows only (maybe). Poisons. Lethal strikes. Stealth based opening shots. Sniper spec. Needs to happen.
Shaman: I'm thinking a tank. Agility based. And using two handers. Why add agility shields?
Warlock: A true tank spec, perhaps? Petless, based on transformations.. plural. One form good for mit, one good for damage/threat one good for +healing recieved.
Warrior: Support shout-based role. Well timed short term buffs to not only greatly enhance own damage, but anyone close by as well. Think like 6 second burst of +healing done/recieved, + damage taken/given... some potential here.

Ok, I had my mad minute.

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Originally Posted by durrtygoodz

All the class ideas people come up with are either too similar to a class we already have, or a mix of 2 classes together. Neither of which would be an interesting addition.

Realistically I doubt that a new race OR class will be announced. Updates to the existing race models will probably be a big feature, but there are already 33 specs in the game, that's more than enough.

I am confident enough to say that the next class will be a Mail-Class and most likely it will also be a full hybrid tank/dps/heal or at least dps/healing. (but i don't think they would add a class that cannot tank)

It will be NOT a pure dps-class, that is for sure.

And i also think that they add a class in the next expansion: they make a lot of things wrong when they created the death knight class, but it worked far better for monks: they were not especially overpowered, but also not very underpowered. So Monk worked out pretty well.

Another solution might be the 4th spec idea, but this is most unlikely. (since there was a tweet as far as i remembered that say that it would be very hard to add)

That's because they were many people that doesn't want to start at level 1 again. The next class might be again a hero-class again. I think demon hunter is a possibility (healing-spec might be a problem here), since the next expansion might be legion themed, and they would start at level 65 (new zone in outland or phased shadowmoon-valley)

There's still room for a new class, things like tinket, blood mage, invoker, anything we see popping every now and then on this forum could be a cool addition. If I had to choose one it would be tinker : a ranged physical/magical DPS hybrid with eventually a healing spec based around shooting healing darts and using absorb shields in mail or plate gear. That would be awesome !

The argument "I want the new models before a new class" in moot since Blizz stated multiple times that those are handled by different teams and can be done at the same time. With the new devs from Titan, everything is possible !

As mentioned earlier, Tinker/Technician/Artificer/Inventor/Mechanic class fits perfectly. Not only could it perform all three roles, but it would be unlike any existing class thematicaly, and could use ranged weapons and mail armor.

In addition, the abilities from the Tinker and Alchemist WC3 heroes arent used in the game by any class or profession.